ProverbMorality
Chinese origin
Chinese origin善有善报，恶有恶报 (Shàn yǒu shàn bào, è yǒu è bào)
Meaning: Good deeds are rewarded and evil deeds punished.
Literally: Good is repaid with good, evil with evil
Example: “他一直帮助别人，现在大家都帮他。善有善报，恶有恶报。” — He always helped others, and now everyone helps him: what goes around comes around.
Equivalents in English, French, Spanish, Japanese, German, and 7 more languages
English: What goes around comes around
French: On récolte ce que l'on sème (literally: You reap what you sow)
Spanish: Lo que siembras, cosechas (literally: What you sow, you harvest)
Japanese: 因果応報 (Inga ōhō) (literally: Cause and effect retribution)
German: Wie man in den Wald hineinruft, so schallt es heraus (literally: As one calls into the forest, so it echoes back)
Italian: Chi la fa l'aspetti (literally: Whoever does it should expect it back)
Portuguese: Cá se fazem, cá se pagam (literally: Here they're done, here they're paid for)
Dutch: Wie kaatst, moet de bal verwachten (literally: Whoever hits the ball must expect it back)
Russian: Как аукнется, так и откликнется (Kak auknetsya, tak i otkliknetsya) (literally: As you call into the woods, so it echoes back)
Polish: Jak Kuba Bogu, tak Bóg Kubie (literally: As Kuba treats God, so God treats Kuba)
Arabic: كما تدين تدان (Kamā tadīnu tudān) (literally: As you treat others, you will be treated)
Turkish: Ne ekersen onu biçersin (literally: You reap whatever you sow)
Origin: A popular summary of Buddhist ideas of karma; the full saying adds 不是不报，时候未到: it's not that there's no reward, the time just hasn't come.
Explore another collection: Compliments & Insults
Compliments and insults from around the world, from the sweet to the savage.
- Tienes menos luces que un barco pirata You're really not the brightest.
- Eres más lento que el caballo del malo You're painfully slow — the villain's horse never catches the hero.
- Testa di rapa A blockhead who isn't thinking.
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